Rookie QB Chronicles #6
“And the Rest + Week One Camp Tidbits”
And away we go! Training camp is underway and I could not be more excited. I already have some interesting updates coming out of camp to share, but first I am going to touch briefly on three other quarterbacks that were selected in the 2021 draft. While they might not have been selected in the first round, it would be a mistake to rule out the possibility one of these selections makes an impact in the NFL. If you have been a fan of the NFL for any reasonable amount of time, you have witnessed quarterbacks rise to stardom after slipping to later rounds in the NFL draft. Warren Moon was not even selected in the NFL draft. If you are wondering who Warren Moon is, you are much younger than I am, and should Google him and check him out.
I am going to begin with Kyle Trask. The Superbowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers know that even Tom Brady can’t play forever. So it made sense to find a possible successor for the 7-time champ to groom while he wraps up his time in Tampa Bay, and most likely, his career. I think when we talk about quarterbacks coming into great situations, Trask has to be included on that list. He is under no pressure to play right now, and he has Tom Brady taking him under his wing. On top of that, Bruce Arians, his new head coach, has earned the reputation of being a quarterback whisperer. It is hard to argue the label when you realize he has worked with Peyton Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck, and Carson Palmer.
There are a few possible explanations why Kyle slipped to the end of the second round. He only played a little over a season for Florida after sitting on the bench for three years. He has also been put under heavy scrutiny for his mechanics when throwing. But the kid went 9-1 in 2020, and had some impressive games. When he got his reps in in the spring, he struggled a bit, but found a favorite target in fellow rookie Jaelon Darden. Coach Arians is happy with Kyle, and believes he can step into the starting role when the time comes.
Just a couple of picks later, the Minnesota Vikings selected Kellen Mond with the 66th pick. Kellen is another rookie coming into a fairly good situation. With Kirk Cousins secured as the starter, the young rookie is not expected to play this season. However, injuries happen in the NFL, and Kellen Mond is currently listed as the backup quarterback according to CBS Sports.
While Kellen Mond was not ranked as a round one draft pick by most NFL analysts, he had some impressive numbers at Texas A&M. He was only the third quarterback in the SEC to pass for more than 9,000 yards in his college career. The other two before him were Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and Jacksonville Jaguar tight end Tim Tebow. Kellen was also ranked surprisingly high by Chris Sims, coming in higher than Justin Fields and Trey Lance. The curiously high ranking did not resonate with the San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears who selected Trey Lance and Justin Fields in the first round respectively.
Slipping to the third round was Stanford quarterback Davis Mills. The former number one recruit out of high school was predicted by some analysts to go much earlier. There were a few that thought the Pittsburgh Steelers might grab him with their first pick. There was no real explanation why he lasted until the third round, but he was sitting there for Houston when they came to the lectern to make their selection. One little tidbit of controversy is the leaked information that Houston wanted to select Kellen Mond but the Vikings beat them to the punch.
It is also worth noting that the fan base didn’t want either one of them. The feeling amongst many Houston fans was that Tyrod Taylor was a good one-year band-aid until Houston would most likely be in a great position to take a top quarterback in the 2022 NFL draft. The fanbase does not expect to win a lot of games this coming season, and selecting Davis made little sense to them.
The concern is that Tyrod Taylor plays the full season, and the Texans will go into the 2022 draft without a lot of information on what they have in Mills. Passing on a quarterback with a top pick would infuriate the fan base who is not convinced Davis Mills is the future franchise quarterback to replace Deshaun Watson. This has led many of them to believe Davis Mills should start, and make it the third time in a row Tyrod Taylor signs on to a team, only to be replaced as starter by a rookie. It will be interesting to see if Davis Mills gets the opportunity to win the starting job right out of camp. He will have the fans behind him, if not just to see if they will want the organization to replace him next April in the draft.
And now some tidbits from training camp: (as of 7/30)
- Zachary Wilson signed his rookie contract, jumped on a red-eye flight from the west coast, suited up and threw a 40-yard pass to Elijah Moore. He proceeded to struggle the rest of the day, but had some shining moments with some more impressive passes. He was much better on Saturday in front of the Jets fans lucky enough to obtain tickets to the practice. He helped alleviate any concerns from his struggles from the previous day to those that forgot he is a rookie, and it was his first day at training camp.
- While Andy Dalton was clearly the more polished quarterback in camp for the Chicago Bears, Justin Fields was clearly the most talented. Some analysts criticized Justin for pressing too hard, and throwing into tight coverage. But that criticism lacked the understanding that Justin was doing exactly what coach Nagy asked him to do. I think it is a great drill because it allows Justin to gain confidence in what he is capable of doing if he trusts his talent and lets loose. While neither quarterback impressed in two-minute drills the following day, like with Wilson, we have to remember that Justin is a rookie. I think the sooner Chicago gets him onto the field the better; the kid is a baller.
- Everything was as expected in Santa Clara at 49ers camp the first two days. Jimmy Garoppolo was looking like a polished verteran and playing well while Trey Lance was going through the typical highs and lows of a rookie quarterback. That was until Saturday’s practice. Jimmy came out and did not look sharp. He threw two picks and was not looking accurate. When Trey came in he wowed with two beautiful passes down field that fans insist Jimmy is unable to make. I think we have a quarterback controversy brewing. At least it is clear the fans want the rookie to start the season, and if the organization sticks to their plans with starting Garoppolo, it could get hairy.
- Trevor Lawrence is looking very good in camp. He had made some very impressive passes, including one to Tim Tebow in the end zone. Most of the footage I am finding does not have defenders coming at him, just the coaches with tall pads to impair his vision of the field. There were some expected incompletions, but he is exciting the Jacksonville fan base and having a really good camp thus far.
- Mac Jones is having an up and down camp so far. He got off to a rough start, but showed steady improvement until Saturday, when he struggled a bit. Cam Newton was playing well until he ran into some roadblocks as well on Saturday. While Mac Jones is performing at a close level to Cam Newton, I wouldn’t start thinking he will suddenly be named the starting quarterback. The plan is for him to sit. At least for now. This is not an unpopular plan. The New England fan base continues to be patient and are not pressing for Mac Jones to be named the starter before he is ready. .
The Sactown NFL Report (Jeremy Krevat)